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09 September 2011

Islamophobia: Canadian Government Policy, and the Real Threat to Canadians

AJP as a member of the Canadian Peace Alliance, reproduces the following memo from the CPA:

Say No To Islamophobia
September 7, 2011

With the 10th year anniversary of September 11 only days away, Stephen
Harper is using the occasion to whip up more hatred against Muslims--see this news report.

While Harper claims that so-called "Islamicism" is the biggest security
threat facing Canada, it is in fact his government's policies that are
the bigger threat. Harper's support of war and occupation, his reckless
support of Big Oil which is causing climate change and his austerity
agenda are all creating greater inequality and insecurity both abroad
and at home.

The Harper government and its supporters have often sought to denigrate
Islam, painting all Muslims with the brush of criminality or terrorism
in an attempt to divide Canadians and to justify the government's wars
of aggression. This is nothing new. For centuries, nations have tried to
characterize certain groups as less than human to provide an excuse for
slavery and murder.

Canada's war in Afghanistan was justified as a crusade to kill
"detestable murderers and scumbags" in the words of former Canadian
Chief of Defence staff, Rick Hillier. Harper's plan to use the Canadian
forces to overthrow regimes around the world--see this article--needs a convenient enemy so he is scapegoating Muslims.

Harper also wants to resurrect draconian security laws that will suspend
charter rights for Canadians. These laws create a legal system that
allows people to be thrown in jail without charge or warrant, based on
suspicion rather than fact. This is a threat to the freedom of all
Canadians and must be stopped.

Ten years ago, on September 26, 2001 thousands marched in Toronto
against the impending war on Afghanistan. To challenge the climate of
fear and racism, we carried placards that read "Islam is Not the Enemy -
War is Not the Answer". Ten years later we need to revive that slogan.

Download the window sign--click here--and print
extra copies for friends, family and co-workers. We need to paint this
country with symbols of peace and unity.

This is the archive of what was formerly the webpage of AJP. It now consists entirely of the essays and posts published by AJP founder, Maximilian C. Forte, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, at Concordia University in Montreal (maximilian.forte@concordia.ca). AJP was a Canadian organization for anthropologists interested in supporting struggles for self-determination, decolonizing knowledge production, and resisting the corporatization and militarization of the academy.